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Harvesting opium in Afghanistan’s poppy fields

Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. A recent uptick in violence across the south, however, will worsen once the poppy crop is harvested in coming weeks and the extremists deploy gunmen to protect their vast smuggling empire, officials, analysts and diplomats are predicting.

Afghan farmers harvest opium sap from a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

In this photograph taken on April 8, 2016, Afghan farmers harvest opium sap from a poppy field at Gereshk in Helmand Province.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015, compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Noor Mohammad/AFP/Getty Images)

In this photograph taken on April 2, 2016, Afghan farmers sit near a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

In this photograph taken on April 8, 2016, Afghan farmers harvest opium sap from a poppy field at Gereshk in Helmand Province.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015, compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Noor Mohammad/AFP/Getty Images)

An Afghan farmer harvests opium sap from a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

Afghan farmers harvest opium sap from a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

An Afghan farmer harvests opium sap from a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

Afghan farmer harvest opium sap from a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

In this photograph taken on April 2, 2016, an Afghan farmer (back) walks by a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

Afghan farmers harvest opium sap from a poppy field in Zari District of Kandahar province on April 12, 2016.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan dropped 19 percent in 2015 compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (Jawed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images)

An Afghan security officer walks past a pile of confiscated drugs being burned in ceremony in Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Around 21 tons of opium, heroin, alcohol and hashish were set on fire, officials said. (AP Photo/Mohammad Anwar Danishyar)

In this Monday, April 11, 2016 photo, an Afghan child harvests raw opium at a poppy field in Zhari district of southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan. A recent uptick in violence across the south will worsen once the poppy crop is harvested in coming weeks and the extremists deploy gunmen to protect their vast smuggling empire, officials, analysts and diplomats are predicting. (AP Photos/Allauddin Khan)

In this Monday, April 11, 2016 photo, Afghan farmers harvest raw opium at a poppy field in Zhari district of southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan. A recent uptick in violence across the south will worsen once the poppy crop is harvested in coming weeks and the extremists deploy gunmen to protect their vast smuggling empire, officials, analysts and diplomats are predicting. (AP Photos/Allauddin Khan)

In this Monday, April 11, 2016 photo, Afghan farmers harvest raw opium at a poppy field in Zhari district of southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan. A recent uptick in violence across the south will worsen once the poppy crop is harvested in coming weeks and the extremists deploy gunmen to protect their vast smuggling empire, officials, analysts and diplomats are predicting. (AP Photos/Allauddin Khan)

In this Monday, April 11, 2016 photo, an Afghan farmer shows some harvested raw opium at a poppy field in Zhari district of southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan. A recent uptick in violence across the south will worsen once the poppy crop is harvested in coming weeks and the extremists deploy gunmen to protect their vast smuggling empire, officials, analysts and diplomats are predicting. (AP Photos/Allauddin Khan)

In this Monday, April 11, 2016 photo, a harvested poppy is seen at a poppy field in Zhari district of southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan. A recent uptick in violence across the south will worsen once the poppy crop is harvested in coming weeks and the extremists deploy gunmen to protect their vast smuggling empire, officials, analysts and diplomats are predicting. (AP Photos/Allauddin Khan)

In this Monday, April 11, 2016 photo, an Afghan child carries a shovel on his shoulder as he walks in a poppy field in Zhari district of southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan. A recent uptick in violence across the south will worsen once the poppy crop is harvested in coming weeks and the extremists deploy gunmen to protect their vast smuggling empire, officials, analysts and diplomats are predicting. (AP Photos/Allauddin Khan)

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Bob Rhodes: Very interesting read....I have read previously about terrap…